Fred Ape - Im Laufe der Woche (1980)

Fred Ape was one of the most sophisticated songwriters in Germany. He died in November 2020. Rest in peace and thanks for your songs, Fred!

Fred Ape was active in the West German political folk scene since the mid-1970s. His first recordings were published on the compilation "Arbeiterjugendtag in Köln 1974" on the important "Pläne" label. His self-penned songs were influenced singer-songwriters like Reinhard Mey, Hannes Wader or Wolf Biermann and had titles such as "Festung Gorleben" - political songs for a politicized society. 

In 1979 he founded the band "Ape, Beck & Brikmann" with Klaus Beck, Peter Brinkmann and the sound engineer Klaus-Werner Wollnowski. The group quickly became one of the flagships of the German alternative folk rock scene. Their political lyrics were mainly written by Fred Ape. Later the band was extended by Rudi Mika and Klaus Heidrich.

With over 100,000 sold copies, their song "Rauchzeichen" (1979), based on the "Prophecy of the Cree", became a secret hit in the growing alternative scene. Nowadays, it is one of the best knows songs focusing on ecological problems, and is published in germen school books. 

All the activities of the 1980s West German left wing and alternative scene were accompanied by the music of  bands like Ton Steine Scherben, Cochise and - of course - Ape, Beck & Brinkmann: The demonstrations against nuclear power plants, against the "Startbahn West" in Frankfurt, against the "Volkszählung" ("census") in 1983 and for women´s emancipation. Ape, Beck & Brinkmann played their farewell concert on 19 December 1987 in Dortmund, Germany. At the end of the 1990s they did some reunion gigs in a very familiar atmosphere.

Peter Brinkmann died in October 1999, Klaus-Werner Wollnowski in 2019 - in 2020 Fred Ape followed them, one month after the release of his new album "Bedingungslos".

 
Now, nearly 40 years later, these songs may sound utopian and naive. But why should we not hope that war and hunger will be abolished at some point? And not so much has changed since these days and there is still a lot to do to show solidarity and enjoy life. We are not alone.

The album "Im Laufe der Woche" was recorded at the "Atelier für Tontechnik" in Oyten in September 1980. The songs "Festung von Gorleben" and "Tagebuch" are adapted versions of "Hotel California" and "American Pie".

The musicians:

Fred Ape (guitar, vocals)
Klaus Beck (guitar, dulcimer, percussion, vocals)
Peter Brinkmann (guitar, percussion, vocals)
Klara Brandt (bass, flute)
Pit Budde (bass, mandolin, guitar, slide-guitar, vocals, percussion)
Harald Koster (piano)
Buckelwale (vocals)
Pawnindianer (percussion, flute, vocals)
Käfer (krabbeln)

 

Titel:
01. Fuchsbau 74/77 (Ape) 5.27
02. Käferballade (Ape) 3.09
03. Streik und was weiter (Ape) 6.56
04. Rettet die Wale (Ape) 6.27
05. Im Laufe der Woche (Ape) 5.54
06. Rauchzeichen (Ape) 3.28
07. Festung von Gorleben (Felder/Henley/Frey/Ape) 4.33
08. Tagebuch (McLean/Ape) 7.02

Fred Ape - Im Laufe der Woche (1980) 

(320 kbps, cover art included)